Wrist-watch-strap fastener



June 24, 1930. w, CLARK 1,765,966

'WRIST WATCH STRAP FASTENER Filed April 25. 1927 Patented June 24, 1930 JAMES W. CLARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS WRIST-WATCH-STRAP FASTENER Application filed April as,

This invention relates to quick releasable fasteners for wrist watch bands or straps.

One object of my invention is to provide a one-piece metal fastener which may be quickly and easily applied to and released from the watch without enlarging the band or strap or separating or unbuckling it when the latter is in two parts or sections.

Another object of my invention is to provide the fastener with a rigid body which extends under the band or strap an is connected therewith so that suflicient purchase may be had on the fastener to force its hoop portion on and off the pin bar on the watch case and with which the fastener is engageable.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a wrist watch and strap, the latter having one end releasably connected with the watch by a fastener of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the manner of attaching the fastener to the.

watch;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the fastener removed from the strap or band;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a watch showing the strap attached thereto by another form of myimproved fastener; and

Figs. 6 and 7 show the fastener of Fig. 5 enlarged and in fully and partially engaged positions.

The wrist watch shown in the drawings has an outside case 1 with a pair of spaced lugs, 2, 2 on each side and supporting pin bars 3, 3, by means of which the wrist encircling band on strap 4 is attached to the watch.

The band or strap 4 is made in two parts or sections 5,6 to be attached to the pin bars 3, 3, respectively. One of the sections, preferably-the one 5, is permanently connected with its pin bar 3'by being looped about the same and having its looped portions sewed together at the pin bar and 1927. Serial No. 186,189.

along their sides, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1". 1

The section 5 carries a buckle 7 at its other end to receive the adjacent or meeting end of the section 6, the latter having '88 a row of holes or apertures therein to accommodate the tongue 8 of the buckle so that the sections may be connected together and be adjusted to a proper fit about the wrist of the wearer. The section 5 also 0 carries a slide loop 9 to receive the free end of the section 6, as usual in wrist straps. The end of the section 6 at the watch 1 is provided with a metal fastener or clip made in accordance with my invention. This fastener is preferably stamped from sheet metal in one piece and has a rigid body portion 10 as wide asthe section 6 and lying directly beneath the same. The body 10 is provided at its outer end with a pair of struck up ears 11, 11 on the opposite sides of the section 6, and these ears are engaged by a pin bar 12 carried by the section. The latter is looped about the pin bar 12 and the loop portions are sewed together at the pin bar and along the opposite sides of the section, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The opposite end of the body 10 is made slightly wider than the section 6 and is cut out, as at 13 (Fig. 4), to provide a slot through which the section 6 may extend to reach the ears 11, 11. The end of the body 10 at the slot 13 extends across the upper side of the section 6 in the form of a flat cross-bar 14, which holds the body 10 up 35 against the under side of the section.

The body 10 continues slightly beyond the section 6 inthe form of a rigid hook 15, which has its tongue 16 lying under the body 10 beneath the pin bar 12. This tongue is bent slightly inward toward the body 10 to" restrict the passage between such parts to slightly less than the diameter of the pin bar 3, which the hook is designed to engag: (Fig. 4). Thus the tongue 16 must forced over the pin bar 3 on connecting the book 15 therewith, and the latter will be held fromj becoming accidentally released from the watch whether on or off the wrist.

The tongue 16, as shown in Fig. 4, is tapin bar on forcing or snapping the hook 15 over the same.

Applying the watch to and removing it from the wrist are simple operations which the wearer may quickly and easily erform Without manipulating the buckle 8 or paying any attention to it. To remove the watch from the Wrist, the wearer with the thumb or a finer of his free hand (depending on whether the watch is worn with the hook 15 on the inside or outside of the wrist) presses the watch against the wrist to hold it stationary, and with the thumb or a finger of said free hand presses upward on the body 10 from beneath the cross-bar 14. This forces the hook 15 out of engagement with its pin bar 3, and the strap is thus released from the wrist and the watch may be taken off. To replace the watch on the wrist, the Watch is held against the wrist, as before, and the thumb or a finger of the free hand is placed beneath the bar 14 to hold the hook 15 up above the pin bar 3 while another finger of the free hand pushes the hook down over the bar. With a little practice, the fastener may be easily and quickly engaged and released.

The body 10 holds the hook 15 rigid with respect to the strap section 6 and allows sufficient purchase to be had on the fastener to force it on and off its pin bar 3. Moreover, the hook can not pivot about its connection with the section 6 to swing out while applying it to or removing it from its pin In Figs. 5 to 7, I have shown the hook with a pivotal connection with its strap or band section. In these figures, the watch case with its lugs and pin bars are the same as before and are indicated by the same reference characters. The hook 17 is made from sheet metal and is connected withthe strap section 6 by a pin bar 12. Here the body of the hook is made wider than the section 6 and is cut out to receive the same and to provide bent over ears providing eyes 18, 18 for the pin bar 12. The tongue 19 of the hook extends under the section 6 beyond the pin bar 12 so as to be drawnup against-the under side of the section 6 by the tension on the strap When the latter is distended by the wrist of the wearer. The tongue 19. is bent inward toward the section 6 at the pin bar 12* so as to restrict the passage for the pin bar 3 of the watch and thus cause the hook to be forced over said pin bar on applying the same, as before.

Both forms of my invention are usable with wrist straps and pin bars now in general use. This is important because no changes are required to adapt m fastener to straps and watches as-now ma e. Moreover, with my improved fasteners, the watch may be quickly taken off the wrist whenever the wearer desires, as when washing the hands, without changing the adjustment of the buckle or even opening it.

The details of structure shown and described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a wrist watch having a case provided with a pair of laterally spaced, outwardly projecting lugs on opposite sides thereof and a pm bar extending between and engaged with each pa1r of lugs, of a wrist band having one end secured to one pin between the lugs thereof, a onepiece metal clip carried at the other end of the band and providing a releasable connection therefor with the other pin bar, said clip having a substantially flat rigid body with a slot therein at one end for the band to pass therethrough and lie on the upper side of the clip, a hook formed integral with the other end of the body portion and engageable about the last named pin bar be-- tween the lugs thereof, upstanding ears on the body pin exten ing between and engaging sa1d ears to connect the band with the clip adjacent the hook and permit the flat body of the clip to lie under the band and have an extended engagement therewith.

2. The combination with a wrist watch ortion adjacent the hook, and a having a case provided with a pair of laterally spaced, outwardly rojecting lugs on opposite sides thereof an a pin bar extending between and engaged with each pa1r of lugs, of a wrist band having one end secured to one pin bar between the lugs thereof, a one-piece metal clip carried at the other end of the band and providing a releasable connection therefor with the other pin bar, said clip having a substantiall flat rigid body ortion with one end ma e wider than the iiand and having a slot therein for the band to pass therethrough and lie on the upper side of the clip with the metal of the clip along the outer edge of the slot displaced upward and formin a cross-bar extending across the upper side of the band, a hook formed integral with the other end of the body portion and having a tongue lying under and bent toward the same to snap over the last named pin bar on applying the hook thereto, and means providm a connection between the band and the cllp adjacent the hook so that the body portion of the clip will be under the band and have an extended engagement therewith. I

3. The combination with a wrist watch having a case provided with a pair of laterally spaced, outwardly (projecting lugs on oposite sides thereof an a pin bar extending etween and en aged with each air of lugs, of a wrist band having one end secured to one pin bar between the lugs thereof, a onepiece metal clip carried at the other end of the band and providing a releasable connection therefor with the other pin bar, said clip having a rigid body portion lying under the band and having an integrally formed hook at one end to engage about the last named pin bar between the lugs thereof and means providing a connection between the band and the hook so that t the clip ,on the upper side thereof adjacent 0 body portion of the cli will lie under the band and have an extend ed engagement therewith.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si attire. JAMES W. C v K. 

